The Cure are one of the most iconic bands of all time,
variously perceived as punkish upstarts, the ultimate goth band, synth-poppers
supreme and experimental rockers. Gathered around singer, songwriter and
guitarist Robert Smith – the band’s sole permanent member – the Cure have
inspired several generations of music listeners and remain hugely popular
today.

Although they began life as a Clash-inspired punk band, by
second single ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ there was a distinct Cure sound. With a
prominent, gloomy bass line undercut by trilling guitars and Smith’s unique,
keening voice, their subsequent albums would evoke dark forests and late night
liasons. Following the black-hearted masterpiece Pornography (1982), they went through a glittering run of cheerier
records before returning to a synth-drenched melancholia with Disintegration (1989) – regarded by many
fans as the band’s peak. After returning to pure pop with the likes of Friday ‘I’m
In Love’ (1992), The Cure continued making music that challenged and delighted
their vast fanbase in equal measure.